The Fairy-Tale Detectives
The Fairy-Tale Detectives is the first book of the Sisters Grimm series by Michael Buckley. In book one of this best selling series, sisters Sabrina and Daphne are sent to live with their mysterious grandmother, Relda Grimm. The sisters learn they are descendants of the Brothers Grimm, whose famous book of fairy tales is actually a collection of case files. The girls are the latest in a long line of fairy-tale detectives, and their new hometown is filled with Everafters (as magical folks like to be called)—some good and some very, very bad. When a mysterious Everafter sets a giant loose on the town, it’s up to the Sisters Grimm to save the day. Blurb "We are Grimms and this is what we do" For Sabrina and Daphne Grimm, life hasn't been a fairy-tale. After the mysterious disappearance of their parents, the sisters are sent to live with their grandmother - a woman they believed was dead! Granny Relda that the girls have two famous ancestors, the Brothers Grimm, whose classic book of fairy-tales is actually a history book that documents magical mischief. Now the girls must take on the family responsibility of being fairy-tale detectives. Their first case? a roller-coaster ride of an adventure to stop a giant from destroying their new home town. Dedication "In memory of my grandparents, Basil and Relda Gandee" Acknowledgements "I'd like to thank my editor, Susan Van Metre at Amulet Books, who's guidance helped me find the book inside my idea; my agent, Alison Fargis of the Stonesong Press, for taking a chance on me; Joseph Deasy, who was honest enough to tell me when my writing stunk; my love, Alison, for telling me when Joe was wrong; Jonathan Flom, for all his support over the years; Joe Harris, for being a good friend; my parents, Michael and Wilma, for filling our house with books even if the checking account was empty; and Daisy, who was patient when I was too busy writing to take her for a walk." Plot *Under Construction* Summary: 'Prologue' Sabrina and Daphne Grimm are running through the forest, thoroughly exhausted as they run for their lives. They need a plan to save them, and though Sabrina assures her sister that she has a plan in place, they are but empty words as they look in the face of a gigantic monster intent on getting the two Grimms. With nothing but Excalibur to help them, how will Sabrina and Daphne escape? 'Plot' The series begins with a train bound to Ferryport Landing, on which Sabrina Grimm, Daphne Grimm and their case-worker, Minerva Smirt, are sat. Sabrina confronts Ms. Smirt about the lady that the two sisters are being sent to live with; she insists that the woman who claims to be their grandmother is actually an impostor as her parents had told her that her grandmother was dead. This is reinforced by the fact that the investigations carried out by the police and the orphanage couldn't find any relatives of the girls to place them with. Smirt eventually loses patience with Sabrina and says even if Mrs. Grimm was an impostor, she would still send them to live with her as she had ran out of suitable foster homes for the girls. When the train rolls into the station, the two sisters meet their Grandmother and Mr. Canis, who bring them to their house in an old, noisy car. They go home and find many odd things that leads Sabrina to suspect the old lady, and also to believe that she is crazy. The two sisters are then introduced to the family dog, the Great Dane Elvis, and also find themselves faced with Granny Relda's weird and bizarre cooking (which Sabrina believes to be laced with poison). Whilst eating dinner, Sabrina questions if Mrs. Grimm is in fact their grandmother, resulting in her angrily storming off to her room, with Daphne in tow. That night, Sabrina contemplates on ways to escape from the house, but her plotting is brought to an abrupt stop when she suspects she saw someone in a tree. Instead of seeing the person though, she sees little lights that she and Daphne find pretty, leading them to open the window until Mr. Canis walks in and exclaims "Girls, you'll leave that window closed if you know what's good for you!", much to the duo's shock. Mr. Canis locks the window and says that they are to never let anyone in the house, before leaving the room. Mrs. Grimm comes into the room straight after, telling the girls not to be upset at his behaviour - she tells them that there will be a few rules that they have to follow and that what she tells them might not make sense but rules are there for a reason, and are also their for their own good. The rules she gives them are that no one may enter the house without Mr. Canis' or her permission, and that there is a room they are forbidden to go in. Sabrina thinks this is evidence that the old lady is up to something suspicious, and that the forbidden room is full of the remains of other children who the lady had taken under her guardianship. That night, Sabrina tries to escape with Daphne as they did with their previous homes, though the little girl is incredibly reluctant. They steal the keys from Mrs. Grimm and escape to the forest. Once there, they are hindered by Elvis who noisily starts to make the girls go back to the house, and the bright lights that the two had seen earlier on in the evening surround them. Caught up in the beauty of the 'lightning bugs'(lightning bugs, as Sabrina calls them) and they start biting Daphne, causing her to bleed. Mrs.Grimm arrives and saves the two sisters - she blows some blue dust at the pixies and they fly away. The old lady brings them back inside to tend to Daphne's wounds and acts compassionately towards Sabrina rather than telling her off for trying to run away. The next morning eventually rolls around and Sabrina is reluctant to give up more ground to Relda by eating her food, as the old lady had hugged her as she cried the night before. However, Daphne manages to persuade her into eating but their breakfast is interrupted by a loud noise that is Mr. Canis nailing the sister's room window shut. Sabrina's view of Canis is not helped by the clothes that he brought the two sisters that were highly embarrassing, though Daphne believed them to be the height of all fashion. A mystery soon presents themselves to the Grimms, though Relda remains enigmatic as to what the mystery is. Relda goes to the secret room, where she can be heard talking to someone who the girls assume to be Mr. Canis.They discover that it was not Mr. Canis she was talking to, because the old man was waiting outside at the time. Later, she and Canis also talk about their 'neighbour' whom Canis earlier had a conversation with. They arrive at a crime scene where there is a broken house. Relda says that they are 'investigating a crime'. There they meet Mayor Charming and Mr. Seven. Charming and Relda have a disagreement, as does Canis. They find a leaf from a giant beanstalk, causing Mrs. Grimm to think that a giant stepped on the house, which makes Sabrina think she's crazy. After Relda gently presses Sabrina towards looking properly at the site of destruction, Sabrina realises that the indentation around the broken down house has a shape; specifically a giant foot-print. Sabrina and Daphne believe that there's no such thing as giants, which leads Relda to tell them about their family history, that fairy tale creatures (Everafters, as the previous term is quite rude) exist, and that all the fairy tales are true, recorded by the Brothers Grimm. She also reveals that there is a barrier separating them from mortals and that there must always be one Grimm inside of the barrier so that no Everafters can escape. Sabrina thinks that she is a lunatic and claims that none of it is real. The next day, Relda reviews the clues from the day before, and Charming is revealed to be Prince Charming (though Sabrina remains highly sceptical). They later go to Ferryport Landing Memorial Hospital to visit Thomas Applebee. As they enter the hospital, they see three hooligan men standing around. When they arrive, they find Glinda erasing his memory, destroying their chances of asking him questions about what happened. They ask his wife, Mrs. Applebee some questions instead. She said there was a British man asking if he could rent the place, he was very friendly, but when Thomas refused he got quite nasty. He then came back and offered them a trip to New York, to which Mrs. Applebee agreed to, however Thomas doesn't care about the city, making her go with her sister. The hotel had no record of a reservation, which led Mrs. Applebee and her sister to have the worst time of their life. Sabrina once again refuses to believe Relda's claims, and tries to come up with a possible answer of her own, although there are many loose ends in her theories. However, Relda is proud of Sabrina nonetheless for coming up with her own theory. The three mob men the Grimms saw as they entered the hospital then approach the family, threatening Relda to get off the case. Daphne tells the goons to leave Granny Relda alone, rushing forward to kick one in the shin. Canis manages to beat the goons, and they escape, much to Sabrina's shock as she didn't think that Canis was strong enough to fight them. Then Relda continues to explain to the girls about Everafters. Sabrina completely loses it and exclaims she knows the difference between reality and fairy-tale, once again, showing that she doesn't believe what her grandmother is telling her. She even drags Daphne out of the car as something has finally broken inside of her, allowing her rage and bitterness to flow. However, her tirade is stopped by a giant hand reaching down and taking the car, kidnapping Relda and Canis in the process. Daphne is completely mad at Sabrina for not believing their grandmother's words, and the two march off in despair back to their house, armed only with Relda's handbag and Elvis by their side. Sabrina and Daphne walk with Elvis, both not talking to each other although Sabrina attempts to many times. Sabrina doesn't think that she and Daphne can defeat a giant, but Daphne hasn't given up hope. They also find a picture of her parents along with Relda and Canis, labelled 'the Grimm Family', making them wonder why Henry didn't tell them about them. Sabrina now firmly believes in everything her grandmother told her. Officer Hamstead appears to bring them back home, and in the car it turns out he's an Everafter as well. Just as they think they will be safe, Charming's voice blares through the radio with orders that Hamstead should bring the two sisters to his mansion. Daphne and Sabrina escape from the car and are saved from Hamstead by the lights that bit Daphne mercilessly beforehand. The lights wait as Sabrina and Daphne follow them deeper into the forest, having no choice but to do so as the lights would bite them if they tried to run. Soon, they arrive at a place heaped with a pile of junk, arranged precariously to resemble a throne. Atop the throne is a boy sitting with a golden crown on his head. The lights (found to be pixies) tell him they have found spies and he replies that Sabrina and Daphne have to be drowned for their espionage. The boy leads them to a pool where he tells them to state their crimes, intent on drowning the two sisters for their crime of stealing the old lady away from him. Just as he is about to push Sabrina off the diving board and into the ice-cold pool, she explains that they're trying to save her, as she was taken away from a giant. The boy unties their wrists and asks them what happened, but Sabrina pushes him in the pool instead, where he soon emerges from the water with two gigantic pink wings on his back. Daphne then mistakes him for Peter Pan, angering him as he exclaims that he is Puck, the Trickster King from A Midsummer's Night Dream. He agrees to help under the circumstances that they never reveal he helped them, as he thinks he's a 'villain of the worst kind.' They go back home and read up on giants so they know what they are fighting against. In the process, they also find out more about Charming and that he is trying to rebuild his kingdom. This adds to Sabrina's theory that Englishman and Charming are the same person, and since giants are pretty dumb, he was able to get one to scare people off their land and anyone who doesn't sell gets squashed, therefore allowing him to own all of Ferryport where he would build his kingdom. As they look through the books, they find a letter from Granny Relda which tells them to go to the room they are forbidden to enter. When they get there, a voice bellows out of the room, startling them enough that they run downstairs to armour themselves, much to Puck's annoyance. Their armour, consisting of kitchen equipment (strainers, cookie trays and carrot peelers) clatters as they try to sneak up the stairs, so their plan of a surprise attack fails. Instead, they all tumble into the room flailing their weaponry, only to find a lone mirror instead. Sabrina is disappointed but on Puck and Daphne's insistence, they approach the mirror as Granny Relda's note told them that the answers would be 'staring them in the face'. As they start to leave, a voice shocks them as it bellows that it will kill them where they stand. Puck attempts to defend the two sisters but the flames encircles the trio. Sabrina cries out that they're Relda's grandchildren (and Puck!) and the face in the mirror stops trying to hurt them, relieved that the kids aren't robbers or vandals. Once Daphne identifies that the mirror is in fact THE magic Mirror, he shows them that Granny Relda and Canis are still alive, after introducing them to the rhyming style of asking questions. They ask who can save the two - Mirror tells them they need the help of Jack the Giant Killer who is currently in jail. They hear someone knocking and Mirror says that the local authorities have arrived - or rather, the three-not-so-little pigs. After breaking out of the house in a truly spectacular fashion, Sabrina and Daphne fly to the Ferryport Landing Jail where they meet Jack. He agrees to help them - but for a price: they have to bust him out of jail. Jack already has a plan, but Sabrina refuses to use it due to it being too violent so she comes up with her own plan. In order to distract Ichabod Crane (the only deputy in the jail), Sabrina pretends to be the Headless Horseman, another character from The Legend of Sleepy Hollow which is the story Crane came from. Because Crane is scared, he hands over the keys to Sabrina, letting her release Jack from jail. Crane tries to stop them upon discovering their true identities, though they are still able to go home, using the Carpet. On their way home, they come across the giant although they are able to go home without getting hurt. Puck doesn't like Jack, and tells Sabrina that he'll get them into trouble, but Sabrina doesn't mind him, causing the fairy to storm out. Twice. Jack comes up with the plan to sneak into Charming's office during the Ferryport Landing Ball, convinced that Charming is in league with the giant and is planning the next place where the gargantuan Everafter will strike. They go to Mirror in order to get disguises - Jack also wants Dorothy's Slippers which a reluctant Mirror gives Sabrina. After indulging Jack by allowing him to enter the room where the magic beans are kept, Sabrina and Daphne uses the Fairy Godmother's Wand to transform themselves into two Everafters - Momma Bear for Sabrina and the Tin Woodsman for Daphne. Mirror informs them that the disguises will wear off at nine in the evening. Jack gives the girls walkie talkies in order to communicate with each other and with him as he tells them he can't enter since Charming will have people on the look out for him when they go to Charming's Mansion. They use Dorothy's Slippers in order to transport themselves there and as Sabrina and Daphne enter the line of Everafters waiting to gain admittance into Charming's mansion. They overhear many Everafters talking about their parents, and Sabrina and Daphne are stunned to realise that their parents may not actually have abandoned them. They are also stunned by how hated their family is, and how many of the Everafters are eager for the end of the Grimm family. This is a feeling that continues as they enter the ball, as the main topic of conversation is how Relda had been carried off by the giant. Whilst they try to mill around and look inconspicuous, The Queen of Hearts questions Charming's leadership, saying that she would make a much better ruler as giants are now running around the town - which would never have happened in Wonderland. Sabrina uses this opportunity to fish for information, asking if Charming is controlling the giant and if he intends to buy up all of Ferryport Landing. Charming denies such allegations and gets the party back on track, giving Sabrina the perfect opportunity to lumber up the stairs and break into his office. She tries to contct Jack via the walkie talkie, but his answer is choppy at best - eventually, she finds the office, but is horrified to find it covered in the heads of animals Charming has hunted, and also various paintings of Charming himself. Aster glancing around the office, she finds an incriminating map on Charming's desk that plots the moves of the giants and also a video camera that has footage of the beanstalk sprouting up - Sabrina only sees part of the video as she is interrupted in her investigation by Charming hauling a disguised Daphne into his office. She is stunned into silence as he trains his crossbow on them, th eerie reminders of his past hunting trophies surrounding the very animal Sabrina. Chamring gives them a few seconds to explain themselves, saying he knows that they aren't really the Everafters they claim to be. As the clock ticks towards nine, Charming tells them that he will shoot them if they don't explain what they are doing - he also states that he has no interest in joining the Scarlet Hand, as he had previously informed the organisation. Sabrina and Daphne have no clue what he means and they frantically try to explain that they are Relda Grimm's grandaughters, and that they were trying to stop the giant. Charming doesn't seem to buy their story, and Sabrina closes her eyes as the clock ticks towards nine. 'Chapter 10' The chapter begins with Charming telling them he's not interested in joining the Scarlet Hand. Chapter 11 Gallery The first book.jpg|The Front Cover First time in Ferryport.png|Sabrina and Daphne enter Ferryport Landing for the first time; there they meet their Granny and Mr. Canis. Meeting Charming and Seven.jpg|The two sisters discover their first case, and meet a charming Everafter, and his diminutive side-kick Applebee and Glinda.jpg|As loose ends are chased up, a race starts to find out more information before memories are erased The giant.jpg|Sabrina is horrified to realise that her grandmother was telling the truth about the Everafters existence - just as a giant kidnaps Relda and Canis. Meeting the Trickster.png|Mischief meets magic as the girls stumble across a King famed for his tricks Armoured attack.jpg|Puck, Daphne and Sabrina enter the forbidden room Unwanted rider.jpg|As a plan is formed to rescue Granny Relda and Mr. Canis, the sisters pull a daring escape from the Ferryport police force. The man in the Mirror.jpg|As if the magic of Ferryport Landing wasn't enough, the sisters discover a whole new world through the looking glass... Crashing the ball.jpg|As the plan is under way, two 'Everafters' attend the annual ball - but they're not quite who they seem! The giant arrives.jpg|Charming gets an unexpected visitor for his ball... Jack and the Big Bad Wolf.jpg|As the family's life is threatened, a surprising change comes over a close friend. Sleeping Grimms.jpg|The girls are shocked to learn that their parents are neither dead, nor had they abandoned them - they had been kidnapped! 'Chapter Headers' The Grimm House.jpg|Chapter 1 Daphne and the pixies.jpg|Chapter 2 Introduction to Everafters.jpg|Chapter 3 Giant crashing.jpg|Chapter 4 Escaping the police.jpg|Chapter 5 Walking the plank.jpg|Chapter 6 Breaking out Jack.jpg|Chapter 7 Elvis susses out Jack.jpg|Chapter 8 Incognito.jpg|Chapter 9 Crazy Chick.jpg|Chapter 10 Pixies attack Jack.jpg|Chapter 11 Category:Books (real-world) Category:Real-world